Community Prosecution Program

About the Program

District Attorney Hoovler has committed himself and the District Attorney’s Office to a program of community prosecution, to open lines of communication between the Office and the public.

Through better communication, the District Attorney hopes to learn more about problems of crime in Orange County’s communities, and also about how the Office and communities might work together to try to solve those problems. Information flows in a circle between community, police, and prosecutor. Community prosecution is a strategy recommended by the National District Attorneys Association, specifically for dealing with gangs.

Outreach

The community prosecution program involves reaching out to municipal boards, police departments, school districts, anti-drug coalitions, and other community groups, and seeking input about crime issues and solutions to those issues. The approach is proactive, getting out ahead of the causes of crime, to remedy those causes before crime occurs.

The District Attorney and representatives of his Special Projects and Community Affairs Bureau annually participate in over 200 meetings and events with community leaders and groups, to solicit input into community prosecution strategies. Events include appearances at the annual National Night Out and several county-wide heroin forums that the District Attorney has sponsored.

Public Service Campaigns

The District Attorney has sponsored several public service announcement campaigns. Those campaigns have targeted, among other things, illegal drugs, driving while intoxicated, distracted driving, illegal guns, and elder abuse. Two of those campaigns have received international awards for their quality. In addition, the District Attorney established crime-tip hotlines for general crimes and labor-related crimes.